(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to metallic objects which are in direct and continuous contact with the human skin such as fashion jewelry (earrings, arm bands, necklaces, etc.)
(2) Description of the Related Art
Metallic objects, which are in direct and continous contact with the human skin such as fashion jewelry (earrings, arm bands, necklaces etc) suffer from the defeat that the objects often cause allergic reactions on the and/or in the organism in a manner spreading out from the point of contact.
Presently there is an ever increasing number persons who react to base metals such as nickel and cobalt etc, which often make up a substantial fraction of alloys of metallic objects. The consequence of these reactions is usually in the form of itching and/or wet skin sores or at least a painful rash of the skin which greatly impairs its appearance. Sometimes the reactions may affect the organism generally and lead to disorders of various parts of the body. It is quite clear that more especially female persons suffer under such reactions not only bodily but also suffer psychic troubles owing to loss in self-confidence. If allergic reactions are to be avoided, it then necessary to substantially dispense with costume jewelry, but this may be seen from experience to be done very unwillingly, because jewelry is regarded as an expression of the personality even today. Or it is possible to provide a remedy by taking suitable measures.
Since commercially so far no effective protection against allergies has been offered, people are forced to adopt self-help measures. These measures reside in covering the surfaces of the costume jewelry, which would otherwise come into direct contact with the skin, with adhesive plaster or with nail varnish. The latter then forms a thin guard layer on the respective surfaces of the metallic costume jewelry after application and drying. The defects that are connected with the use of adhesive plaster are obvious. It is in this manner that in fact substantially only large surfaces may be covered over, and smaller surfaces as for instance the surfaces of rings, necklaces or thin arm bands may not be covered over or if they are covered, the adhesive plaster will be readily seen from the outside. If one considers that such adhesive plaster is liable to be become dirty, more especially when used for long periods of time, it will be clear that such measure does not satisfactorily solve the problem in question.
On the other hand nail varnish does not come up to expectations. In fact, nail varnish contains plasticizer. Plasticizers are necessary in order to give the nail varnish the necessary elasticity and a satisfactory adherence on the surface of the nail after the nail varnish has been applied and has dried. However, plasticizers have the disadvantage that they slowly sweat out, that is to say that they exude from the coating. The final result of this is that the coating becomes porous and not longer adheres to the metallic surface and finally flakes off. The protective function of such a coating is accordingly only slight.
A further point is that plasticizers themselves are often allergenic so that they cause corresponding reactions on the skin.
Measures which are such that they effectively protect the human skin on direct contact with the surfaces of metallic structures are just as unknown as coatings which are able to effectively protect the human skin on direct contact with the surfaces of metallic structures. There is thus a clear case that there is a substantial need for such measures or coatings.